Nipple for baby bottle

ABSTRACT

Nipple for baby bottle has at least one slot in the portion sucked by the baby. At least one end of at least one slot terminates in a hole having a diameter greater than the width of the slot.

United States Patent Pelli 51 Mar. 21, 1972 [54] NIPPLE FOR BABY BOTTLE[72] Inventor: Pierre Pelli, Paris, France [73] Assignee: LOreal [22]Filed: June 5, 1970 211 Appi.No.: 43,697

[30] Foreign Application Priority Date July 29, 1969 France ..6925828[52] U.S.Cl. ..l28/252,2l5/ll R 51 lnt.C1. [58] FieldofSearch..128/252;215/11 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,165,27512/1915 Montgomery ..l28/252 FOREIGN PATENTS QR APPLICATIONS 112,0443/1917 Great Britain 128/252 566,078 7/1958 Belgium ..128/252 PrimaryExaminer-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant ExaminerJ. Yasko Attorney-Holcombe,Wetherill & Brisebois [57] ABSTRACT Nipple for baby bottle has at leastone slot in the portion sucked by the baby. At least one end of at leastone slot terminates in a hole having a diameter greater than the widthof the slot.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures NIPPLE FOR BABY BOTTLE SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION There is a conventional type of nipple which has a variableand adjustable rate of flow and is adapted to be mounted on a babybottle to feed infants. This nipple is essentially characterized by thefact that its orifice for passing the milk or formula is in the form ofa slot. The nipple, or an intermediate part, or even the bottle itself,is provided with markings having a predetermined angular position withrespect to the slot so as to make it possible to adjust the position ofthe "slot with respect to the median plane of the head of the child byrotating the bottle about its axis. This adjustment modifies the rate offlow through the nipple because it results in opening the slot more orless widely each time the lips of the infant exert suction thereon. lthas also been proposed to provide a single nipple with one or more slotssuch as that described above, which may or may not be straight and mayor may not be parallel.

An important difficulty exits in manufacturing such nipples. In effectthe flow of fluid and in particular, milk, which may be obtained with aslotted nipple is a function of the length of the slot. However, becauseof the soft and elastic nature of the rubber or synthetic elastomersfrom which the nipple is made, it is impossible. during the course ofmanufacture, when the knife descends on the top of the nipple, to assurea constant rigorously accurate length for the slot.

The error which results may be as much as 0.5 mm. and the flow deliveredby the nipple is substantially affected thereby.

Moreover, the slotted nipples have two important disadvantages whenbeing used. In the first place the flow delivered through the nipple fora given position of the slot with respect to the median plane of thehead of the child is not constant over a period of time. When the nipplehas been used several times the movements of the lips of the slot whensucked on by the child progressively tear the two ends of the slot sothat the length of the slot increases during use and the flow deliveredto the child for a given position of the nipple is not the same when oneuses a new nipple as when one uses an old nipple. In the second placethe slotted nipples have the disadvantage of preventing air fromentering into the bottle during sucking movements of the child after acertain quantity of liquid has been evacuated from the bottle. Theaction ofthe child on the nipple relaxes and the lips of the slot closeagainst each other so that for practical purposes air cannot enter thebottle through the slot. This creates a sub-atmospheric pressure insidethe bottle, renders subsequent sucking motion difficult, and finallydeforms the nipple to the point at which it is necessary to admit airinto the bottle around the base by which this nipple is attached to thebottle.

it is the object of the present invention to palliate thesedisadvantages by means of a simple arrangement which simultaneouslyovercomes both these disadvantages.

The present invention is accordingly directed to a new article ofmanufacture which consists ofa nipple having a variable and adjustableflow adapted to be attached to a baby bottle. This nipple has at the endadapted to be suckled by the infant at least one slot which may or maynot be straight. The nipple is provided with markings oriented withrespect to the slot and is essentially characterized by the fact that atleast one of the ends of a slot in the nipple opens into a hole piercedthrough the wall ofthe nipple.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention holes are formed at the twoends of the slot, which holes have a substantially circular section.Good results have been obtained with a slot 2.5 mm. long using end holeshaving a diameter of about 0.15 mm. In general, the slot may have alength between 1.5 and 5 mm. and the end holes a diameter between 0.05and 0.3

lt is obvious that the orientation marks which are associated with theslot or slots carried by the end of the nipple may be on the nippleitself, for example on its base, or on an intermediate member, or evenon the bottle to which the nipple is attached.

It will be appreciated that each slot, provided at its two ends withholes, as indicated in the foregoing definition, retains a constantlength in the course of use, because the end of the slot is perfectlyterminated in the material of the nipple by the existence of the holeitself. There is therefore no tendency for the length of the slot toincrease during use. Moreover, when the infant is not sucking, the lipsof the slot close, but if a subatmospheric pressure exists inside thenipple, air can enter into the bottle by passing through the holes atthe end of each slot. It follows that the nipple is not deformed in thecourse of use.

In order that the object of the invention may be better understood apreferred embodiment thereof will now be described, purely by way ofillustration and example, with reference to the accompanying drawings onwhich:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, through a nippleaccording to the invention with the section taken through the axis ofthe nipple;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the top of the nipple of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that reference numeral 1indicates the nipple as a whole. This nipple comprises an end 2 which issucked by the infant. At the top of the end 2 are two holes 3a, 3b, eachhaving a diameter of 0.15 mm. The centers of these holes are 2.42 mm.apart. The axis of the two holes 30 3b lie in the same axial planepassing through the nipple 1. A slot 4 is then cut between the holes 3aand 3b which connects these two holes and consequently also lies in anaxial plane through the nipple 1.

Along the lower edge of the nipple l are three indicia 5a, 5b and 50. 5alies in an axial plane perpendicular to the slot 4. 5b lies in an axialplane at an angle of 45 to the plane which contains the indicia 5a. Theindicia 5c lies in the axial plane which contains the slot 4.

As is well known, when the indicia 5a is positioned under the nose ofthe child which is using the nipple, the sucking movement will not openthe lips of the slot 4 very wide, that is to say a minimum flow throughthe nipple occurs. When, on the contrary, the indicia 5c is positionedunder the nose of the child by rotating the bottle about its axis, amaximum flow results because of the separation of the two lips of theslot 4. If the indicia 5b is used the rate of flow is intermediatebetween those obtained in the two previously described positions.

It is obvious that the length of the slot 4 will not be increased by usesince thetwo ends of this slot are terminated by the two end holes 3a,3b. Moreover, when the sucking'movement of the child stops, the lowpressure which has been created inside the bottle may be overcome by aninflow of air which passes through the holes 3a and 3b, even if the lipsof the slot 4 are perfectly sealed.

It will of course be appreciated that the foregoing embodiment has beendescribed purely by way of illustration and example and may be modifiedas to detail without thereby departing from the basic principles of theinvention. In particular, the nipple according to the invention may haveseveral slots, each provided with a hole at each end, which slots may ormay not be straight, and may or may not be parallel. Moreover a slot mayhave a hole at only one end. Finally, when the nipple has several slots,some of the slots may have end holes whereas the others do not.

What is claimed is:

1. Nipple having a variable and adjustable rate of flow and adapted tobe attached to a baby bottle, which nipple comprises at least one slotin the end adapted to be inserted in the mouth of a child, with bothends of each slot terminating in a substantially circular hole having adiameter greater than that of said slot extending through the wall ofthe nipple.

2. Nipple as claimed in claim 1 essentially characterized by the factthat the slot is between 1.5 and 5 mm long and the end holes have adiameter of between 0.05 mm and 0.3 mm.

3. Nipple having a variable and adjustable rate of flow, said nipplebeing made of flexible sheet material formed into a dome-shaped bodyhaving a peripheral rim dimensioned to engage the mouth of a baby bottleand a hollow central protuberance projecting from said body, saidprotuberance being shaped and dimensioned to be received in the mouth ofa baby and having at least one slot extending through said sheetmaterial and the center of said protuberance, at least one end of atleast one slot terminating in a hole having a diameter 5 greater thanthat of said slot.

4. Nipple as claimed in claim 3, which is provided with indicia atdifferent angular orientations with respect to said slot.

1. Nipple having a variable and adjustable rate of flow and adapted tobe attached to a baby bottle, which nipple comprises at least one slotin the end adapted to be inserted in the mouth of a child, with bothends of each slot terminating in a substantially circular hole having adiameter greater than that of said slot extending through the wall ofthe nipple.
 2. Nipple as claimed in claim 1 essentially characterized bythe fact that the slot is between 1.5 and 5 mm long and the end holeshave a diameter of between 0.05 mm and 0.3 mm.
 3. Nipple having avariable and adjustable rate of flow, said nipple being made of flexiblesheet material formed into a dome-shaped body having a peripheral rimdimensioned to engage the mouth of a baby bottle and a hollow centralprotuberance projecting from said body, said protuberance being shapedand dimensioned to be received in the mouth of a baby and having atleast one slot extending through said sheet material and the center ofsaid protuberance, at least one end of at least one slot terminating ina hole having a diameter greater than that of said slot.
 4. Nipple asclaimed in claim 3, which is provided with indicia at different angularorientations with respect to said slot.